D-Sides is the second compilation album by English virtual band Gorillaz. It was released on 19 November 2007 in the UK and on 20 November in the United States, available in standard and deluxe editions.
Information[]
The album consists of B-sides and remixes from singles and bonus tracks to the singles (Dirty Harry, Feel Good Inc., DARE and El MaƱana/Kids With Guns) from the band's second studio album, Demon Days, as well as songs recorded for the Reject False Icons and We Are Happy Landfill sessions during the early stages of Phase Two. The standard Japanese and Taiwanese editions feature two bonus tracks on CD One, plus the music video for Rockit, the first song released by the band after returning from their hiatus between Phases 1 and 2.
The creature on the album cover is Pazuzu, a creature originally from the 1973 American supernatural horror film The ExorcistW, who had previously been featured on other Gorillaz media during Phase Two and would later become a recurrent mascot of the band.
Background[]
In an interview with Verbicide Magazine from March 2006,[1] the band members were asked if a new Gorillaz remix album or follow-up to G-Sides, the band's first compilation album, would be made for Demon Days as there was for Gorillaz. They answered that it was a possibility and that might involve the Spacemonkeyz again. In January 2007, websites began listing a March release date for a Phase 2 B-sides album.[2] One of the websites, musictap.net, later pushed this back to 3 April.[3] On 29 August, musictap.net reported that the B-side album would be titled D-Sides and would be released on 20 November.[4] On 18 September 2007, the official Gorillaz fan site confirmed the release of the album, as well as unveiling the album artwork and track listing.[5]
The missed delivery notice outside Kong Studios marked the same date as the album release.
The release date of the album itself was subtly announced through the Gorillaz Room in the form of a missed delivery slip for a 'really nice' spade. On the re-delivery date of the spade (22 November 2007), retrieving the spade outside the Portacabin unlocks the 2D Digathon mini-game which, when completed, unlocks supplementary material for the album, including four PC wallpapers.
The deluxe version of the compilation includes 2 sketch prints, 4 button badges, a sticker sheet and a patch. Additionally, he first 500 orders and pre-orders of the album from the G-Shop came with an exclusive free 20"x30" poster, also limited to 500 units worldwide.
G-Sides II[]
Before the public announcement of the album, a promo CD titled G-Sides II was produced, featuring an early track listing of what would later become D-Sides, with many notable differences. Not only does it feature the singles from Demon Days, but also other songs or live performances from Phase Two not included on the final release, such as Dirty Harry (Chopper Remix) and Feel Good Inc. (Noodle's Demo). It also consists of a single disc instead of two, and the tracks are heavily slowed down.[6]
This promo CD likely dates back from January to March 2007, as this was shortly after the release of the EP Series and around the time certain music websites began reporting on a second compilation album by Gorillaz.
G-Shop Description[]
| ā | While Gorillaz take a well-earned break from global domination, the menials at Kong Studios have been hard at work. As 2D finishes his law degree and Russel reinvents himself as a personal trainer, the glorious ephemera from the last phase of their musical career has been swept up, gathered together and pickled in plastic for music fans everywhere. D-Sides sees the B-sides from Gorillazā multi-platinum selling second album Demon Days, along with early demos and previously unreleased tracks collected together for the first time. Highlights include Gorillazā dubbed-out collaboration with The Bees, Bill Murray, and the apocalyptic scum-pop of We Are Happy Landfill. Hong Kong, the lush and lovely track recorded by Gorillaz for Warchild, was the surprise hit of the Demon Days Live shows. Itās here given an exclusive refit with added strings. Stop The Dams is another collaboration, this time with The SugarcubesWā Einar Orn, protesting against dam-building in Icelandās wilderness. Demos People (DARE) and Donāt Get Lost in Heaven give a sneak peek into the bandās creative process, while the Mandarin version of Dirty Harry provides an insight into how Gorillaz might sound if theyād been born east of the Yangtze instead of deep in the wilds of Essexā¦ |
ā |
Other Editions[]
Japanese Editions[]
In Japan, the album was titled D-Sides ~The Secret of Kong Studios~.[7][8] As is standard practice to most Gorillaz albums released in CD format, the Japanese standard edition included two bonus tracks on CD One, Samba At 13 and the then-unreleased Film Trailer Music, in addition to the music video for Rockit, with the new mix of the song made for the compilation, plus an OBI and a sticker sheet. The Japanese deluxe edition, however, ditched the bonus content and only included the OBI and the sticker sheet, possibly to incentivise customers to purchase both editions.
Taiwanese Editions[]
In Taiwan, the compilation was issued twice: one under licence from EMI and the other under licence from Virgin. While both contain the same OBI, hype sticker and overall package design, the Virgin-licensed copy contains the same internal contents as all other standard editions throughout the world, meanwhile the EMI-licensed copy contains the bonus tracks and sticker sheet from the Japanese edition.
Indonesian Double Cassette[]
The Indonesian double cassette is notable for being the only occasion in which D-Sides was released in cassette format, as by then sales for this format were already in sharp decline throughout most of the world. While the track listing is the same as the worldwide standard editions, its booklet includes exclusive sketches of Noodle and a banana peel which have not been featured anywhere else.
Chinese Commemorative Edition[]
In China, the album was released under EMI Music China, Push Typhoon and äøę¹ēŗ¢ ("The East is Red") in April of the following year, packaged as a "Chinese New Year Commemorative Edition", packaged in a DVD box instead of a CD one. In this edition, CD1 has We Are Happy Landfill and Hong Kong removed (while possibly for the song's potential political overtones, it could also be because of both tracks' use of the word 'shit' - although the Chinese censors do not give official reasons for their cuts) whilst CD2 has all three remixes of Kids With Guns removed (presumably the censor objected to the association of children with firearms). Despite the censoring, it also has material unique to it:
- The album booklet, akin to most other versions but in the same dimensions as the DVD box;
- EMI Music China/Push Typhoon new releases leaflet;
- Small Chinese New Year leaflet with exclusive artwork;
- 2 booklets containing (erroneously translated) English/Mandarin lyrics in one side and artwork in the other;
- 37cm X 53cm double-sided poster.
While it is not exactly known how many copies of this edition were manufactured, it appears to have been in very limited quantities, as this editor contains a copy belonging to production batch "B", which is composed of only 500 copies according to the discs' matrix information.
RSD 2020 Pressing[]
On 29 August 2020, D-Sides and its predecessor G-Sides were pressed on vinyl for the first time for Record Store DayW 2020. The pressing followed the track listing of the standard edition of the album, divided among 3 LPs. It was limited to 15000 copies in a trifold, gatefold sleeve with plain white inner sleeves.
The track list inside the gatefold contains multiple misprints: track A3 is referred to as 'track three' in the production credits; track C5 is listed as 'thirteen' and track F2 is listed as 'twenty one' in the publishing credits; track E4 is listed as "nineteen" and track F2 is listed as 'twenty one' rather than the red lettered vinyl track numbering used by the rest; track D1 credits the remix assistant as 'assitisted by'; track E2 and track F1 credits Rosie Wilson's vocals as 'additonal vocals vocals'; Jason Cox is misspelled as 'Jason Coz' in the engineering credits for tracks D1-F4; Neneh Cherry is incorrectly credited as 'Neneh herry' in the credits of track E3 and is credited with performing 'additonal vocals'; El MaƱana (Metronomy Remix) is also written incorrectly, with a regular 'N' instead of the 'Ć'; Additionally, it uses the G-Sides vinyl copyright notice.
Track Listing[]
CD One[]
| Standard Album | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Additional Info | Length | |||||||
| 1. | '68 State' | 4:48 | ||||||||
| 2. | 'People' | 3:28 | ||||||||
| 3. | 'Hongkongaton' | 3:34 | ||||||||
| 4. | 'We Are Happy Landfill' | 3:39 | ||||||||
| 5. | 'Hong Kong' (feat. Chen Wei-Man) | Reworked Version | 7:15 | |||||||
| 6. | 'Highway (Under Construction)' | 4:20 | ||||||||
| 7. | 'Rockit' | Reworked Version | 3:31 | |||||||
| 8. | 'Bill Murray' (feat. The Bees) | 3:53 | ||||||||
| 9. | 'The Swagga' | 4:58 | ||||||||
| 10. | 'Murdoc Is God' | 2:26 | ||||||||
| 11. | 'Spitting Out The Demons' | 5:10 | ||||||||
| 12. | 'Don't Get Lost In Heaven (Original Demo Version)' | 2:29 | ||||||||
| 13. | 'Stop The Dams' (feat. Ghostigital & The Reykjavik West End Brass Band) | 5:39 | ||||||||
Total length: |
53:29 | |||||||||
| Bonus Tracks | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Additional Info | Length | |||||||
| 14. | 'Samba At 13' (feat. Paraiso School Of Samba) | JP/TW Exclusive | 6:22 | |||||||
| 15. | 'Film Trailer Music' (Worldwide Unpublished Tune) | JP/TW Exclusive | 1:44 | |||||||
Total length: |
61:32 | |||||||||
| Enhanced Section | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Additional Info | Length | |||||||
| 16. | 'Rockit (Music Video)' | JP/TW Exclusive | 3:46 | |||||||
Total length: |
65:18 | |||||||||
CD Two[]
| Standard Album | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length | ||||||||
| 1. | 'DARE (DFA Remix)' (feat. Shaun Ryder, remix by DFA & Eric Broucek) | 12:14 | ||||||||
| 2. | 'Feel Good Inc. (Stanton Warriors Remix)' (feat. De La Soul, remix by Stanton Warriors) | 7:24 | ||||||||
| 3. | 'Kids With Guns (Jamie T's Turns To Monsters Mix)' (feat. Neneh Cherry, remix by Jamie T) | 4:22 | ||||||||
| 4. | 'DARE (Soulwax Remix)' (feat. Rosie Wilson & Shaun Ryder, remix by Soulwax) | 5:42 | ||||||||
| 5. | 'Kids With Guns (Hot Chip Remix)' (feat. Neneh Cherry, remix by Hot Chip) | 7:09 | ||||||||
| 6. | 'El MaƱana (Metronomy Remix)' (remix by Metronomy, prod. Joseph Mount) | 5:44 | ||||||||
| 7. | 'DARE (Junior Sanchez Remix)' (feat. Rosie Wilson & Shaun Ryder, remix by Junior Sanchez) | 5:26 | ||||||||
| 8. | 'Dirty Harry (Schtung Chinese New Year Remix)' (feat. various musicians, prod. Ann Yeung & Tung Tang) | 3:53 | ||||||||
| 9. | 'Kids With Guns (Quiet Village Remix)' (feat. Neneh Cherry, remix by Quiet Village) | 10:08 | ||||||||
Total length: |
60:22 | |||||||||
| Digital Special Edition | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Additional Info | Length | |||||||
| 10. | 'Hong Kong (Live at Manchester Opera House)' (feat. Zeng Zhen) | Bonus Track | 6:37 | |||||||
Total length: |
66:59 | |||||||||
| US Amazon Store/iTunes | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Additional Info | Length | |||||||
| 10. | 'Feel Good Inc. (Sarm Studios Session)' (feat. De La Soul) | Bonus Track | 3:42 | |||||||
Total length: |
64:04 | |||||||||
Song Origins[]
- 68 State is a bonus track on the Japanese version of Demon Days as well as a B-side to the limited edition picture disc single and EP Series releases of Feel Good Inc.
- Bill Murray and Spitting Out The Demons are B-sides to the single Feel Good Inc.
- Murdoc Is God is a B-side to the Japanese version of the single Feel Good Inc. and to the UK version of the single Dirty Harry.
- People is a bonus track on the Japanese version of Demon Days as well as a B-side to the single and EP Series releases of DARE.
- Highway (Under Construction) is a B-side to the single DARE and to the EP Series release of Dirty Harry.
- Samba At 13, DARE (Soulwax Remix) and DARE (DFA Remix) are B-sides to the single DARE.
- Hongkongaton is a B-side to the single and EP Series releases of Dirty Harry.
- We Are Happy Landfill was made available as an additional downloadable track on the Gorillaz.com website through an exclusive code from the limited edition of Demon Days.
- Hong Kong was originally released as part of the compilation album Help!: A Day In The Life for the War Child charity organization, and was later re-recorded for D-Sides with additional contributions from the Demon Strings.
- Rockit was released in December 2004 in promotion of the 'Reject False Icons' campaign, and was also later reworked for D-Sides.
- The Swagga is a bonus track on the limited edition DVD of Demon Days.
- Stop The Dams is a B-side to the single and EP Series releases of El MaƱana as well as the single Kids With Guns.
- Don't Get Lost In Heaven (Original Demo Version) is a B-side to the double singles El MaƱana/Kids With Guns and Kids With Guns/El MaƱana.
- The remixes of the singles were made available for promotion of Demon Days, either on promo records or as digital-only minor singles.
- Some of the remixes also appeared on compilation albums by their authors, such as DARE (Soulwax Remix), DARE (DFA Remix) and Feel Good Inc. (Stanton Warriors Remix).
- DARE (Junior Sanchez Remix) was named DARE (JRSNCHZ Blokroxtra Mix) before its inclusion on D-Sides, and was featured on the DARE (US Mixes) promo CD from November 2005.
Personnel[]
Credits adapted from the liner notes of D-Sides and other releases.
Gorillaz[]
- Murdoc Niccals ā bass guitar
- Stuart '2-D' Pot ā vocals, synthesiser
- Russel Hobbs ā drums
- Noodle ā guitar, vocals ('DARE' ā Soulwax & Junior Sanchez remixes)
Musicians[]
- Damon Albarn ā lead vocals, keyboards, acoustic guitar, songwriting, synthesisers, melodica
- Danger Mouse ā percussion, drums ('People'), drum programming, sampled loops
- Jamie Hewlett ā songwriting, ray gun ('Honkongaton')
- Jason Cox ā drums, drum programming
- James Dring ā drums, drum programming
- Cass Browne ā drums
- Morgan Nicholls ā bass
- The Bees ā multi instrumentation ('Bill Murray')
- Aaron Fletcher
- Kris Birkin
- Michael Clevett
- Paul Butler
- Tim Parkin
- Warren Hampshire
- Demon Strings ā strings
- Al Mobbs ā double bass ('El ManaƱa - Metronomy Remix', 'Hong Kong')
- Alice Pratley ā violin ('Hong Kong')
- Amanda Drummond ā viola ('El ManaƱa - Metronomy Remix')
- Antonia Pagulatos ā violin ('El ManaƱa - Metronomy Remix', 'Hong Kong')
- Emma Owens ā viola ('Hong Kong')
- Emma Smith ā double bass ('El ManaƱa - Metronomy Remix')
- Isabelle Dunn ā cello ('El ManaƱa - Metronomy Remix', 'Hong Kong')
- Kotono Sato ā violin ('Hong Kong')
- Sally Jackson ā violin ('El ManaƱa - Metronomy Remix')
- Stella Page ā viola ('El ManaƱa - Metronomy Remix', 'Hong Kong')
- Oli Langford ā violin ('Hong Kong')
- Chen Wei-Man ā zither ('Hong Kong')
- Ghostigital ('Stop The Dams')
- Einar Ćrn Benediktsson ā multi-instrumentation, additional vocals
- Birgir Ćrn Thoroddsen ā multi-instrumentation
- Hrafnkell FlĆ³ki 'Kaktus' Einarsson ā trumpet
- The Reykjavik West End Brass Band ā brass instrumentation ('Stop The Dams')
- Einar PƔlmason
- Haraldur Ćrastarson
- Hugi Ćeyr Gunnarsson
- Hƶrưur Bjarkason
- Katrin PĆ”lmadĆ³ttir
- LĆ”rus HalldĆ³r GrĆmsson
- MagnĆŗs Andersen
- Ćshildur ĆkadĆ³ttir
- Ćlafur Bielawski
- Ćskar Vƶlundarson
- Shaun Ryder ā vocals ('DARE' - DFA, Soulwax & Junior Sanchez remixes)
- Rosie Wilson ā vocals ('DARE' - Soulwax & Junior Sanchez remixes)
- Simon Tong ā additional guitar ('Feel Good Inc.' - Stanton Warriors Remix & Sarm Studios Session, 'El ManaƱa - Metronomy Remix')
- De La Soul ā vocals ('Feel Good Inc.' - Stanton Warriors Remix & Sarm Studios Session)
- Vincent Mason ā laughter
- Dave Jolicoeur ā rap, songwriting
- Kevin Mercer ā rap ('Sarm Studios Session' only)
- Neneh Cherry ā backing vocals ('Kids With Guns' remixes)
- Joseph Mount ā additional instrumentation ('El ManaƱa - Metronomy Remix')
- Jacqueline Fu ā chorus coordination ('Dirty Harry - Schtung Chinese New Year Remix')
- Lok Sin Tong Primary School Kids ā chorus ('Dirty Harry - Schtung Chinese New Year Remix')
- Mazy Yap ā chorus ('Dirty Harry - Schtung Chinese New Year Remix')
- Chantal Sun ā chorus lyrics ('Dirty Harry - Schtung Chinese New Year Remix')
- Hou Shih Chieh ā erhu ('Dirty Harry - Schtung Chinese New Year Remix')
- Morton Wilson ā guzheng ('Dirty Harry - Schtung Chinese New Year Remix')
- Johnny Yim ā keyboards ('Dirty Harry - Schtung Chinese New Year Remix')
- Tung Tang ā percussion ('Dirty Harry - Schtung Chinese New Year Remix')
- MC Yan ā rap ('Dirty Harry - Schtung Chinese New Year Remix')
- Mike Smith ā keyboards ('Feel Good Inc. - Sarm Studios Session')
- Darren Galea ā turntables, scratches ('Feel Good Inc. - Sarm Studios Session')
Remix[]
- Death From Above ā remix ('DARE - DFA Remix')
- James Murphy
- Tim Goldsworthy
- Eric Broucek ā remix assistance ('DARE - DFA Remix')
- Stanton Warriors ā remix ('Feel Good Inc. - Stanton Warriors Remix')
- Dominic Butler
- Mark Yardley
- Jamie T ā remix ('Kids With Guns - Jamie T's Turns To Monsters Mix')
- Soulwax ā remix ('DARE - Soulwax Remix')
- Hot Chip ā remix ('Kids With Guns - Hot Chip Remix')
- Metronomy ā remix ('El ManaƱa - Metronomy Remix')
- Junior Sanchez ā remix ('DARE - Junior Sanchez Remix')
- Quiet Village ā remix ('Kids With Guns - Quiet Village Remix')
- Joel Martin
- Matt Edwards
Technical[]
- Gorillaz ā production
- Danger Mouse ā production, mixing (standard Disc Two)
- Jason Cox ā production, engineering, mixing
- James Dring ā production, programming
- Charles Lam ā engineering ('Honkongaton', 'Hong Kong')
- Stephen Sedgwick ā engineering ('Hong Kong'), mixing assistance
- Soulwax ā additional production ('DARE - Soulwax Remix')
- Hot Chip ā additional production ('Kids With Guns - Hot Chip Remix')
- Joseph Mount ā additional production ('El ManaƱa - Metronomy Remix')
- Junior Sanchez ā additional production ('DARE - Junior Sanchez Remix')
- Joel Martin ā additional production ('Kids With Guns - Quiet Village Remix')
- Matt Edwards ā additional production ('Kids With Guns - Quiet Village Remix')
- Ann Yeung ā production ('Dirty Harry - Schtung Chinese New Year Remix')
- Tung Tang ā production, programming, mixing (all on 'Dirty Harry - Schtung Chinese New Year Remix')
- Hans Ebert ā executive production ('Dirty Harry - Schtung Chinese New Year Remix')
- Morton Wilson ā executive production ('Dirty Harry - Schtung Chinese New Year Remix')
- Geoff Pesche ā mastering (full Disc One)
- Howie Weinberg ā mastering (standard Disc Two)
- Will Street ā recording assistance (standard Disc Two)
- John Davis - remastering (2020 RSD reissue)
Artwork & Design[]
- Jamie Hewlett ā artwork
- Kate McLauchlan ā design
- Zombie Flesh Eaters ā artwork, design, animation ('Rockit - Music Video')
Release Information[]
| Region | Date | Format(s) | Catalogue # | Label | Chart position(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | 19 November 2007 | Double CD | 510 5452[note 1] | Parlophone / EMI | #63 |
| Double CD "Deluxe" | 510 5582 | ||||
| Cardsleeve Promo CD | PAZUZU 001 | ||||
| US | 20 November 2007 | Double CD | 50999 510545 2 6[note 2] | Virgin Records | #166 |
| Double CD "Deluxe" | 50999 510558 2 0 | ||||
| 2014[note 3] | Double CD Reissue | 791367-2 | Warner Bros. Records | ||
| Japan | 19 December 2007 | Double CD (with bonus content) | TOCP-66746-7 | Toshiba / EMI Records Japan | #184 |
| Double CD "Deluxe" | TOCP-66757-58 | ||||
| Taiwan | December 2007 | Double CD | 5099951054526 | EMI ē¾ä»£ | N/A |
| Double CD (with bonus content) | Virgin Music Chinese, Taiwan Branch | ||||
| Indonesia | 2007 | Cassette | E01025 | PT EMI Indonesia | |
| China | 14 April 2008 | "Chinese New Year" Commemorative Edition Double CD (censored) | 50999 2 07676 2 4 / A3198-2(L) | EMI Music China / Push Typhoon / äøę¹ēŗ¢ | |
| Mexico | 2015 | Double CD Reissue | 1054526 | Warner Music Mexico | |
| Worldwide | 2007 | Download | N/A | Parlophone | |
| 7 October 2016 | HD Download | ||||
| 29 August 2020 | Ltd RSD Triple Vinyl | 0190295307745 | Parlophone / Warner Records |
Samples[]
- People contains an extract of Medium Excited Teenage Crowd Take 1 from The Premiere Edition 14 by The Hollywood Edge Sound Effects Library and a drum sample of the song Christmas Rappin' by Kurtis BlowW (taken from the drum sample compilation "Vinylistics Vol. 3" by e-Lab, located at 7:40).
- Samba At 13 contains an extract of Lady Linda II from the album Feel Good! Look Great! Exercise With Debbie Drake and Noel Regney and His Orchestra by Debbie DrakeW.
In Pop Culture[]
In the episode 'S-i-Sick D-a-Day' of the TV series SpeechlesW, Ray's project over the uncharted moons, PhobosW and DeimosW, is too complicated, so his dad tells him to just do Earth's Moon, to which he says: "Give the people what they want! Don't give them 'D-Sides', give them 'Born to Run'".
Gallery[]
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| The full image gallery for D-Sides may be viewed at D-Sides/Gallery. |
Trivia[]
- The front cover of the album uses the font 'Century Gothic'.
- It has never been properly explained why Dirty Harry (Chopper Remix) or Feel Good Inc. (Noodle's Demo) were cut from the final track listing, as they both fit the criteria of official studio recordings, demos or remixes followed on D-Sides.
- The second disc of the standard edition of the album was originally meant to feature a tenth track, El MaƱana (TTC Remix), which even appeared on the first official tracklist reveals of the album. However, by the time the remix had been approved by Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett when reviewing the material for the compilation, the band and the producer had lost the recording of the track, which caused it to never be sent to the record label and therefore not appear on any version of D-Sides. The remix was later released in 2008 through a free 128kbps MP3 download on the Geneva Heathen Blog with secured approval from TTC and Para One, the producer of the remix.
- Because of this, the tenth track spot of the second disc was taken with different songs on different versions of the album, such as Hong Kong (Live at Manchester Opera House) on the digital Special Edition and Feel Good Inc. (Sarm Studios Session) on the US iTunes and Amazon MP3 Store.
- Strangely, as of 2025, Amazon Canada still retains the remix on its track listing for D-Sides, despite it not actually being present on any official release.
- Prior to the release of D-Sides, an MP3 of the reworked version of Hong Kong was leaked through the EMI online servers, which then led it to be uploaded to Gorillaz' MySpace account before its intended release date.
References[]
Notes
Sources
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